Lost Tales
by XForceflowX
Summary: An Airglyph convoy is ambushed my Aquarian forces, a group of Knights from the Black Brigade is dispatched on a desperate rescue mission...


The first fic i've written. I've been fascinated by the war between Airglyph and Aquaria, theres so much room to develop in there.

This collection (hopefully? See if i get more ideas) of shorts show little stories of the soldiers and common people involved in the war. Please R&R.

Thks so much.

Disclaimer: Star Ocean 3 and all characters are owned by Square-Enix and Tri-Ace.

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**Chapter 1:**

"CHARGE!" The few remaining Black Knights roared and threw themselves at their assailants. Their sturdy armour and heavy weapons proving to be more than a match for their individual opponents; but for each one they slew, two more stepped in to take their place. If just by sheer weight of numbers, the Knights were slowly but surely being overrun.

To his left Clive fell, a spear through his heart. Death at least had been mercifully quick. Renard had still been screaming as his limbs were being hacked off. A quick glance behind showed the convoy making good progress, if they could just hold them off a little longer...

An incoherent war cry brought him back to the present. He instinctively sidestepped to the left, narrowly avoiding the cleaving blade as it embedded itself into the ground. The Aquarian foot soldier snarled up at him. Relinquishing his grip on his stuck blade, he drew a dagger from his belt and attacked again. Unable to swing his heavy sword, the knight swung his arm in a hook; catching his counterpart in the neck with his armoured bicep. Gasping, the soldier dropped to the ground struggling to draw breath.

_Not for long though..._

A downward thrust and a twist silenced the soldier...no, the young man. As his facial muscles relaxed, he looked almost directly at the knight, as though questioning what cause he had to be standing over him.

_He couldn't have been 20..._

Shaking off the unpleasant thought, he returned his mind to his mission...

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The halls shook with the sound of clashing armour as the combat team rushed to the arena on top of the Training Facility.

"One of our convoys bearing our wounded away from the frontlines was ambushed by Aquarian scum on their way back! Your objective is to support the Guards assigned to the convoy and buy enough time for our wounded to come home. A group of Dragoons from the Dragon Brigade will drop you all near their location but don't count on their support, they're all wounded volunteers; their orders are to deliver you guys and disengage. Good luck and God speed."

I lead my team as we burst onto the open ground, towards the waiting Dragons. Many of their Knights had bandages. Some of them weren't even wearing their full armour, showing off the extend of their wounds. The lead Dragoon caught sight of us. "You the guys we're sending," he extended an armoured hand, "We don't have much, lets make haste." "No kidding, " I replied, grabbing the proffered hand, "Show us the legendary speed of the Dragon Brigade!"

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My name?

Is it that important here?

Here it just kill or be killed... If we get out of this there'll be plenty of time to catch up. Else I just be another nameless corpse on the field. Suffice to say, i'm the leader of Squad 3, 1st Phalanx of the Black Brigade, the "Mantises". All six of us. Clive, Korin, Renard, to name a few... My friends, companions, the brothers i never had. We look out for one another, we'll never walk alone. Despite knowing the risk of this mission, none of us backed down. We were all gonna come back alive, we swore it but now...

Around me my friends lay dead and dying... Behind me were the wounded, unable to move, much less fend for themselves. In front the ambush force came on relentlessly. Taking another sword from lifeless hands, i braced myself and prepared to sell my life dearly.

They came...

Time seemed to slow down as we began the dance of death...

A sword swinging in a wide arc, clipping my left helm horn as i ducked...

Blood sprayed as i cleaved the head off a faceless soldier...

The spike of pain that burst in my side as a spear found its mark...

The curious lack of pain as i watched my arm fly off...

Yet i fought on, without emotion, as if i was only a distant observer of the struggle that raged around me. Blood clouding my vision, i dimly noticed a runologist bitch standing a distance away. Mouth words i couldnt hear, a fireball formed at her hand and shoot towards me, striking my chestplate, vapourising it in an instant.

_Was it enough..._

The immolated corpse dropped to the ground as the Aquarian forces raced past the fallen for the convoy.

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"Lord Woltar?"

The elderly man turned from the window of his study towards the Storm Knight in front of him.

"Yes, go on."

"The convoy just managed to reach our lines before the enemy troops. Upon sighting the enemy, a squadron of mounted archers was dispatched to discourage their pursuit. The enemy then retreated to their own lines."

Count Woltar nodded at the report, "And our losses?" The knight checked his report, "Relatively light milord. Fifteen members of the original twenty guards were slain in the melee that ensured. If not for the intervention of a Squad from the Black Brigade our losses could have been very much higher."

"And those brave souls?"

"...I'm sorry milord... Every last one perished in the battle." The old man closed his eyes, silently saying a prayer for the souls of the lost warriors. "...Very well, dismissed." The knight saluted across his chest and left the study.

**End**

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Well its abit short, hope you enjoyed this little fic 


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